Benjamin Pitman (Hawaii businessman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Pitman
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Benjamin Pitman, c. 1864
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| Born | October 12, 1815 |
| Died | January 17, 1888 (aged 72) |
| Resting place | Mount Auburn Cemetery |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Kinoʻole o Liliha Maria Walsworth-Kinney Martha Ball |
| Children | Mary Pitman Ailau Henry Hoʻolulu Benjamin Keolaokalani Maria Kinoʻole Charles Brooks Harold Albert |
Benjamin Franklin Pitman (born October 12, 1815 – died January 17, 1888) was an American businessman. He became well-known for marrying into Hawaiian royalty. His life connected the United States with the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Contents
Early Life and Move to Hawaii
Benjamin Franklin Pitman was born in Salem, Massachusetts. This was on October 12, 1815. His father, Benjamin Cox Pitman, was a trader. He often visited the Hawaiian Islands for business.
In 1833, Benjamin Pitman moved to Hawaii with his father. They settled in Hilo, Hawaii. About a year later, Benjamin married Chiefess Kinoʻole o Liliha. She was a powerful Hawaiian noble. She owned large areas of land under King Kamehameha III.
Business Ventures in Hawaii
Around 1846, Pitman started a small hotel. It was a simple hut near the Kilauea volcano. This hotel was called Volcano House. He charged $1 a day for visitors. Later, he decided to focus on other businesses.
Pitman opened a store in Hilo. This store was called a ship chandler. It supplied whaling ships with everything they needed. As the whaling industry grew, so did Pitman's wealth. He became a very important businessman in Hilo. He even served as a local magistrate, helping with legal matters.
Growing Plantations and Public Service
By 1852, Pitman was growing many crops. These included coffee, arrowroot, and sugarcane. He was also a leader in the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society. He hired Chinese workers for his sugar plantation.
Pitman also held important government jobs. He was a customs collector for the island of Hawaii. He was also the first postmaster there. In 1854, he helped raise money to rebuild the Hilo Boarding School and Church. It had burned down earlier that year.
Family Life and Return to the US
Benjamin Pitman had three children with Chiefess Kinoʻole. They were Mary Pitman Ailau (born around 1838), Henry Hoʻolulu Pitman (born 1845), and Benjamin Franklin Keolaokalani Pitman (born 1852). Sadly, Kinoʻole passed away in 1855.
Pitman married a second time in 1856. His second wife was Maria Louisa Walsworth. She was a missionary from Ohio. Maria died in 1858, shortly after their daughter, Maria Kinoʻole Pitman, was born. His third wife was Martha Ball Pitman. They had two sons: Charles Brooks Pitman and Harold Albert Pitman.
In 1859, Pitman became the sole owner of his plantations. He built a house in Honolulu. Around 1861, he sold his Hilo home and sugar plantation. He then moved his family to Boston. This was so his children could attend school there. The Hilo house he sold later became the Hilo Hotel.
Later Years and Legacy
In January 1868, Pitman started a "Hawaiian Club" in Boston. For some years in the 1870s, his family lived in Germany.
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The Pitman family met future Queen Liliʻuokalani when she visited Boston in 1887. Benjamin's daughter, Mary Pitman Ailau, had been a bridesmaid at Queen Emma of Hawaii's wedding. This shows the close ties between the Pitman family and Hawaiian royalty.
Benjamin Pitman passed away on January 17, 1888. He was buried in the family plot at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Pitman's Children and Grandchildren
His son, Henry Hoʻolulu Pitman, fought in the American Civil War. He was a private in the 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He was captured and died in 1863.
Another son, Benjamin F. K. Pitman, married Almira Hollander in 1875. Almira became active in the movement for women's right to vote. They visited Hawaii in 1917. Their son, Theodore Pitman, became a sculptor. In 1928, he created a monument to honor his ancestors.
